exercycle The Peloton hi-tech
On yer static bike The spin class is dead.
> Meet the machine that killed it. By Charlie Teasdale
Aside from burning loads of calories, improving cardiovascular fitness and building lower-body strength, spin classes are rubbish. They’re dark, sweaty, angry and the trainers have terrible taste in music. And then there’s the changeover, the bit where you have to pick your way through the neon hellscape and beat everyone else to a bike that’s not too close to the front or far from the air conditioning, and isn’t still moist from the last rider’s exertions. Happily, you never need to go to one ever again.
Founded in 2012, American company Peloton makes top-spec static bikes fitted with a 21.5in touch-screen HD TV, allowing you to stream over 8,000 classes on-demand — or tune in to the 14 hours of live classes streamed each day — into your own home or private studio. Classes are hosted by “elite New York-based instructors” and you can compete with other riders on a realtime leader board as well as track your personal performance over time. Essentially, you can do all the things on offer in a regular spin class, but you don’t need to schlep across town to do it. Peloton has already sold over 220,000 machines in the US. This autumn it will arrive in the UK.
“Working out with others can increase performance, motivation and frequency. Working out at home while connected to others cycling along with you has been one of the secrets to our success,” says John Foley, founding CEO of Peloton. If cycling doesn’t spin your wheels but you still don’t want to leave the house to work out, then Peloton is launching Tread, a running and HIIT edition of the technology, in the not-too-distant future.